Decorative display devices for use in the home or in a commercial environment are quite popular. Such devices are often used in the home to depict religious themes, or other scenes appropriate to festive occasions, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. In a commercial milieu, such devices are used for advertising purposes or to display products or pictures thereof in a pleasant and attention getting manner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,679 of Noble, Jr. there is shown a three-dimensional decorative display device in the form of a wreath, but which is adaptable to other forms or types of devices which have a frame or frames defining an open space or area which is occupied by a three-dimensional scene. In the illustrative embodiment in that patent, the scene has a Christmas motif. The invention of that patent includes an annular form or frame upon which is arrayed suitable greenery or other decoration appropriate to the motif. A first plate member, the front surface of which has thereon an exterior scene such as, for example, the exterior of a house with cut out windows and doors, is mounted to the annular form and substantially fills the spaced defined thereby. A second plate member, spaced from the first plate member, is also mounted to the annular form or frame. The front surface of the second plate member has thereon an interior scene which may be painted on the surface or built up from individual component pieces, as may be the scene on the first plate. As assembled, the interior of the house, for example, may be viewed through the windows and door on the first plate. For added realism, the spacer member which separates the first and second plates may be painted to resemble the floor of the house.
The interior of the house may be illuminated by one or more miniature light bulbs mounted on, for example, the rear of the first plate preferably in locations that prevent the bulbs themselves from being seen in the assembled device. The display device of the patent is made up of a fairly large number of component parts, and care must be used during assembly to achieve the proper location and relationship of the parts.
There are numerous other prior art arrangements for decorative display devices such as are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,682,727 of Keljik, 2,831,963 of Kuriauskis, 3,500,035 of Franc, 3,614,840 of Vadell, and 4,353,327 of Shroyer, most of which are somewhat elaborate in design, and not readily amenable to easy assembly.
Wreath type display devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,696,221 of Tubbs, 2,033,173 of Barocas, 2,086,958 of Pollock, 2,761,233 of Brown, 3,350,555 of DiRico, 3,591,442 of Matesi, and 4,100,316 of Lackey. Of these patents, the Brown, DiRico, and Barocas patents disclose methods of assembling the wreath on a frame or form, and providing illumination for the end product. Only Brown, however, has a scenic depiction, a two dimensional scene, filling the open area defined by the wreath. The Tubbs, Matesi, and Lackey patents are directed more to the frame or form for use in assembling a wreath.
None of the aforementioned prior art references discloses an arrangement such as is shown in the Noble, Jr. patent, nor do any of the references disclose an arrangement for decorating a pre-existing wreath, for example, with a three dimensional display that is easily assembled and mounted to the wreath in the open space defined thereby. Nor does the prior art disclose a kit of component parts so configured that assembly into a decorative display device is easily accomplished.